My past life as an illustrator!

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I’ve been blogging now for nearly a year (wow), and I guess it’s natural about this time I start to think about my numerous past lives, especially in my online existence. For a large chunk of this I was an illustrator posting on www.deviantart.com, and spent a lot of time on a website called http://www.gaiaonline.com/, where illustrators made up a cog wheel in gaiaonline’s surprisingly intricate micro-economy! I don’t illustrate anymore for reasons I can’t fully explain. It was a combination of a huge loss in confidence and starting to work full time, which made it hard to sit down for long periods to draw.

Images from the very last time I was able to pick up my tablet pen just after Christmas in 2010…before my massive and current art block.

I don’t always count this one, but it’s when I was doing some oil work – portrait for my mum for Christmas 2010

In my sketch only phase of 2008 and 2009, selling commissions on ebay:

My favourite pieces from my gaiaonline sketch shop. My style was heavily influenced by Kim Hyun Tae of Magna Carta concept art fame. When I opened the shop I started selling sketches for 500g, but it became so popular that they were going for 400,000g a pop within a few months! Eventually the pressure got a bit too much!

 

 

Early colour work from 2006/2007

Finally back in 2004 when I had an adoptable/role playable pixel pet shop on gaiaonline.com!

Miniature version of my pixel design for a game I planned but never went through with >.<

Maria’s Wedding

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So if anyone was wondering why there had been no updates on my Blog for a while, it was largely because one of my oldest friend’s, Maria’s, wedding day finally arrived! So I grabbed my bridesmaid's dress and shoes, shoved an armful of emergency makeup supplies in a big black bag and sped myself over to Sydney for a couple of days to carry out all my bridesmaidly duties and of course, for a great party.

Maria had also asked me to take some photos, but unfortunately I broke my Canon 1000D right before leaving D: and had to borrow my housemate’s Olympus DSLR, which I have no experience with. The worst outcome of that was that I didn’t know he had it set on taking pictures in JPEG mode…who takes photos in JPEG mode?! As a result I had to touch up all the photos in photoshop with a side order of loss of picture quality and the photos didn’t turn out nearly as nice as I had planned.

Between hair, makeup and stuffing our faces, I managed to get some shots of Maria’s beautiful hair and makeup for her big day at her fiance’s house:

This is my favourite photos of Maria’s makeup. She looks so natural and glowy.

The groom, Chris' mum made all the flower decorations for the wedding and this is the amazing bouquet she made for the bridesmaids. I really wanted to take this home with me, but with all the rush, I unfortunately left it at the reception hall! :(

At about noon, the groomsmen turned up in their shiny cars to chauffer us to the wedding. I think events like a wedding brings out everyone’s old fashioned chivalrous side. The groom was so sweet with the bride – taking her arm at all times; opening all the doors; fussing over her constantly - I thought at one stage he might lay his jacket over a puddle to save Maria’s dress. The groomsmen were also such gentlemen. It started raining that day, so they did all the running around for us so that we didn’t have to go in the rain and ruin our hair and makeup!

Shoshanna was Maria’s maid of honour. Her makeup looked amazing. While she said she didn’t think the hairdo was her style, I thought she looked really elegant!

These pictures skip the ceremony, so onwards to the party! All of Maria and Chris’ hard work for months and month paid off in a beautiful perfect wedding!

Below are some of our friends from Law School.

The groomsmen – they looked so dashing in their vests and tuxedos!

Some lucky folks went home with a huge chocolate jar I made as a game for the reception xD

As a photographer you largely remain faceless. Someone offered to take this photo for me and Maria. There was probably a reason I should have stayed out of the shots hehe.

Finally, the cutting of the cake. The couple just looked so happy I almost started crying again (I’m a wedding crier!)

My bridesmaid’s makeup look:

Hair up-do by local Seven Hills hair dresser. My blond layer looked like foils with this do.

Obento day photo spam

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By way of a little break from the fashion a beauty, please indulge me in another non-fashion related photo spam.

Sunday was designated Obento day at Canberra-Nara Peace park, and the first time my friend Serra tried out her new Nikon D90 DSLR!

Amazing obento Serra made for our picnic!

True to Canberra weather, it was a cloudy 13 degrees Spring day. We sat in the park for as long as we could take the freezing wind and miscellaneous debris blowing in our tea and took the picnic back to my living room.

Which was just as well because then my kitty Maris was able to join in too!

We shared the food with my housemates, who discovered some new and wonderful ways to use chopsticks…

This cute ice-cream candy Serra brought was so cute I had to take a close up :)

Melbourne photo spam~

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I originally bought a digital SLR to take photos for my blog, but the world of photography eventually sucked me in, and I started taking photos just for the sake of taking photos. For some reason I love taking photos of people I know. I love capturing the moments and expressions that truly express their personalities. I took quite a few photos in Melbourne that were not blog related, and here they are, a brief spam in a blog moment – I hope you’ll forgive me for indulging in it.

No makeup outside the Lindt Cafe

DJ or Gamer?

To me this photo is Melbourne. The city is filled with pleasant little corners where you can stop, sit, and contemplate. Or make make bookings for a tattoo artist at short notice!

Out of focus photos can be quite pretty.

Penguins at the Aquarium
Yes, they appear to be holding hands and kissing…

The hilarious guy at ‘Lord of the Fries’

The ‘Lord of the Fries’ himself

Look closer…

Not at Aimee Winehouse;
At the dog on on his scooter!

 

Wonderful things.

See a photo of someone; feel like you know them.